Four HR Technologies That Can Transform Collaboration for SMB Retailers

Solutions like cloud and unified communications often get associated with job functions that center around, you know, communication. Stereotypically, these are roles in leadership, sales and customer service. However, experts suggest that inserting the right technologies into your human resources (HR) processes can unleash powerful organizational benefits you may not have thought about — especially if you’re a retailer.

The team at TalentCulture, a leading source of HR news and insights, recently highlighted four HR technology trends on their blog that smaller retailers should keep in mind.

Translation Tools

Non-English-speaking workers make up a large portion of the workforce. TalentCulture estimates that roughly 50% of employees in the restaurant industry have Spanish as their first language. In this climate, language barriers can incite massive breakdowns in efficiency and engagement. Translation tools can help bridge the gaps, enabling HR teams and managers to send messages and documents in the employee’s native language. Not only will this help overcome language barriers, it will also help non-English speakers feel more included.

Real-Time Engagement

Tools like chats and video applications are great for enabling real-time, face-to-face interactions between employees — especially when company locations are geographically dispersed. For HR, these technologies can be valuable sources of employee feedback and help decision makers gauge an employee’s well-being, satisfaction, and engagement.

Going Paperless

Traditional file cabinets are increasingly falling by the wayside in favor of online repositories like SharePoint. Nonetheless, small retailers can save bundles in efficiency and routine costs by replacing administrative HR processes with those that are completely cloud-based and paperless. This includes being able to extend offer letters at the click of a button and keeping important documents like I-9s accessible from anywhere.

Performance Management

The retail industry is often plagued by a high turnover rate, and performance management systems can be a remedy. These are technologies that collect and synthesize employee performance data, such as calls made or time spent on certain activities and produce actionable intel that helps employers make decisions. That type of data can be extremely helpful in identifying skills gaps and determining where and when to invest in training or hiring.

While these HR technology trends can play key roles in supporting retail businesses, they apply to organizations in all industries. They’re also indicative of the massive impact technology has in helping business develop stronger relationships with their people.